Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed legislation on February 28, 2025, removing gender identity as a protected class from the state’s civil rights code. The bill, Senate File 418, makes Iowa the first state to eliminate previously established civil rights protections for transgender individuals, according to reports from NBC News and Fox News.
The Iowa Civil Rights Act, which dates back to 1965, prohibits discrimination in areas including employment, housing, education, and public accommodations. In 2007, the Democrat-controlled legislature added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes, which also includes race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, and disability.
What the Law Changes
The newly signed legislation makes several significant changes:
- Removes gender identity from the list of protected classes in the Iowa Civil Rights Act
- Defines “sex” as “the state of being either male or female as observed or clinically verified at birth”
- Requires birth certificates to reflect a person’s sex assigned at birth
- Eliminates provisions that previously allowed transgender individuals to update their birth certificates after medical transition
- Changes terminology in educational laws from “gender identity” to “gender theory”
The law will take effect on July 1, 2025, as stated in the legislation.
Legislative Process and Reaction
The bill moved rapidly through the Republican-controlled legislature, passing the Senate 33-15 along party lines and the House 60-36, with five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, as reported by the Des Moines Register.
According to Capitol security guards cited in the Des Moines Register, over 2,500 protesters filled the Iowa Capitol during the legislative debates, significantly more than the roughly 600 people typically present on a session day. The Des Moines Register reported that demonstrators carried signs reading “Trans rights are human rights” and chanted “No hate in our state.”
Representative Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa’s first openly transgender lawmaker, spoke against the bill, stating it “revokes protections to our jobs, our homes, and our ability to access credit. In other words, it deprives us of our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness,” as quoted by multiple news sources including NBC News.
Governor’s Justification
In her signing statement, Governor Reynolds framed the legislation as protecting women and girls: “Today, I am signing into law a bill that safeguards the rights of women and girls. It is common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women,” according to the official statement released by the governor’s office.
Reynolds argued that the previous civil rights code “blurred the biological line between the sexes” and that the new law “brings Iowa in line with the federal Civil Rights Code, as well as most states,” as stated in her official release.
National Context
The Iowa legislation follows President Donald Trump’s executive order, issued shortly after his January 2025 inauguration, recognizing only two sexes – male and female – for federal government purposes, as reported by Fox News.
According to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank cited by NBC News, 23 states currently prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in employment, 22 in housing, and 27 in public accommodations.
Federal law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment following the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, though protections in other areas vary by state, as noted in multiple news reports.
Disclaimer
This article is intended to provide an objective overview of Iowa’s recent legislative action regarding gender identity protections. The content is compiled from various news sources for informational purposes only. This article does not constitute legal advice, and individuals potentially affected by this legislation should consult with qualified legal professionals regarding their specific circumstances.
